Device for the manufacture of artificial fibers



April 7, 195] M. DELAMARE-DEBOUTTEVILLE 2,549,179

DEVICE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FIBERS Filed Feb. 17, 1948 2Sheets-Sheet 1 a 4; (10%;, M g/ 39 W w 2 a 9 m F2 EL mm mm M n 5 R UA mwEB DR am 5 RF AM L mm .R Mm E C I w D April 17, 195] Filed Feb. 17, 1948Patented Apr. 17, 1951 DEVICE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FIBERSMarcel Delamare Deboutteville, Neuilly-subSeine,

France Application February 17, 1948, Serial No. 8,962 In France July 1,1941 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires July 1,1961 The present invention relates to a device for the manufacture ofartificial fibres.

It is well known that artificial fibres of viscose, acetate and the likeappear in the form of cylinders generally having a smooth surface andthat it cannot be otherwise since up to now the coagulable solution isforced under a constant pressure through the cylindrical holes of amotionless nozzle.

On the contrary, natural fibres such as cotton and wool fibres appear,when seen through a microscope, as filaments having variable sectionsand very particular profiles which confer to these said fibres theirremarkable physical properties.

For instance, woo-1 and more generally the hair of animals showvariations of diameter of a very particular aspect which are calledscales or hooks and which help to bestow them together with theircurliness, their felting power (theory of Monge).

As to the cotton fibre, it has the well known aspect of a kind of spiralor helix the cross section of which presents the form of dumb bells.

These particular conformations of the natural animal and vegetablefibres bestow them precious properties which up to now have never beenattained by artificial fibres.

One has vainly attempted to obtain the felting of such artificial fibresand it has only been possible to obtain fibres which. are curled bytheir passage in the viscous state when coming out of the coagulatingbath onto a cylinder fromwhich they are separatedby means of a knifeblade;

unfortunately the curliness is not absolutely ments of variouspredetermined natures (sinusoidal movements, movements with a constantacceleration or movements the acceleration of which follows any otherpredetermined law).

The vibratory movements which are imparted to the nozzle head can beexerted in thedirection of the axis of the said head, in a directionperpendicular to the axis, in a circular direction or according to a'combination of two of these movements.

2 Claims. (01. 18-8) matically and by way of example in the Thesuccessive portions of the coagulable solution which leave the nozzlehave velocities and eventually directions which are different from thoseof the following portions and, due to the intervention of the inertia ofthe solution, the variable cross sections and the successive portionshaving different directions which are identically produced during eachperiod of the selected vibratory movement give to the elementary fibreall kinds of profiles and variations of section, result which has notbeen obtained up to now.

The desired movements are imparted to the nozzle by any suitablevibratory device which is capableof translating the law of movementwhich will give the desired form to the artificial fibre, allowancebeing made for the velocity with which the coagulable solution leavesthe nozzle. Thus will it be possible, for this purpose, to use eithermechanical or magneto-mechanical devices.

The coagulation of the solution must take place quickly enough in orderthat the so formed fibre does not loose its form before the coagulation.

'Iwo forms of execution of devices adapted for giving the desired resultare shown diagramappended drawings. r

In these drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatical view of a device according to theinventionand adapted for carrying out the method which forms the subject matviewof another form of abrupt variations of the diameter of which form ahook which permits the felting.

Figure 6 is a similar view of a fibre having a helical profile with asection in the form of dumb-bells which is identical with that of thecotton and obtained according to the invention.

In the device shown in Figure 1 the nozzle 1 is secured on one of thebranches 2 of tuningfork 3 the vibratory movement of which is maintainedby means of an electro-magnet'l which receives from an amplifier 5 anoscillator current the frequency of which is the resonance frequency ofthe tuning-fork itself, the said frequency being taken on the branch 6by means of an electro-magnet 4.

The amplifier is fed by a source of current 8. The l'lOZZle I secured onthe branch 2 of the tuning-fork is supplied with a coagulable solutioncapable of giving an artificial fibre by coagulation after leaving thenozzle, by means of a flexible tube 9 which connects the movable nozzlewith a vessel 16 containing the said solution ll maintained underpressure by a pipe [2 with a pressure regulator I3. 7

The device operates as follows: 1

The tuning-fork 236 having been set and being maintained in vibration bythe electromagnets 4 and l the coagulable solution, a solution ofviscose, for instance, flows through the flexible tube 9 and arrives tothe outlet I4 of the nozzle. When flowing, it forms a thread l5 which,after coagulation, is led by the drum I6 toward the issue of thespinning plant. In such a device the longitudinal velocities of thenozzle l correspond to a sinusoidal law which, due to the inertia of thematerial fiowing out of the nozzle and to the variations of the flowingspeed of the coagulable material, gives rise to variations in thesurface of the successive portions of the artificial fibre formed at theoutlet of the nozzle.

In the device according to Fig. 2 the nozzle I is secured on a flexibleblade I? which is fast with a vibratory blade 18 the oscillator movementof which is maintained by an electro-magnet 19. This electro-magnet isfed by an amplifier 20 the current of which is supplied by aphoto-electric vcell 2|; This photo-electric cell receives a periodicalflux of light coming from a source 22 and concentrated by a condenser23, the variations of the intensity of the said flux resulting from thepassage of the latter through a fixed mask 24 and through arotary disc25 to which a quick rotary movement is imparted by a motor 26.

The mask 24 is formed of, an opaque blade in which a recess has beenprovided, which is limited by a curve which represents the law chosenfor the variations of the acceleration of the vibrator movement.

The length of this curve, which represents a period of the vibratorymovement equals the distance between two successive openings or ports ofthe rotating wheel 25, so that a wheel having for instance 50 slots androtating with a speed of revolutions per second would give a vibratorymovement of 30=1500 periodsor cycles per second. 7

The so obtained variations of the fiux of light are converted by thephoto-electric cell which receives them into an electric current ofa'variable intensity which is led to the amplifier 20.

pulsatory or alternating current of high frequency by an amplifier (notshown) such as that of Figure 1 or by an amplifying device (not showneither) comprising a photo-electric cell, a source of current; a maskand a rotatingdisc such as those of Figure 2. The thread l5 formed aftercoagulation of the solution leaving the nozzle i possesses in this casenot only variations of section but 'also variations of direction throughwhich the so formed artificial fibre is provided with hooks togetherwith a stable curline'ss.

If it should be desired to impartto the nozzle an oscillatory rotatingmovement about its axis, the nozzle would then be mounted for instanceon an axis coinciding or not coinciding with its figure axis and itwould be made fast Witha mass of magnetic metal located in a magneticfield having an oscillating rotation component.

a What I claim is:

l. A device for giving'periodical variations of section and profile tothe artificial fibres obtained by spinning through a nozzle ofcoagulable solutions, which comprises a member capable of vibrations, anozzle secured to said member, electro-magnetlcal means for imparting tosaid member a high frequency vibrating movement, a current amplifier forfeeding said electro-magnetical means, and electro-inagnetical means inconnection with said member for producing in said amplifier oscillatoryvariations of the current with a frequency corresponding to theresonance frequency of said member.

2. A device for giving periodical variations of section and profile tothe artificial fibres obtained by spinning through a nozzle ofcoagulable solutions, which comprises a tuning-fork, a nozzle secured toone branch of said tuning-fork, electro-magnetical means in connectionwith the other branch of said tuning-fork for maintaining saidtuning-fork in periodical vibrations, a current amplifier for feedingsaid electro-magnetical means, and electro-magnetical means inconnection with said tuning-fork for producing in said amplifieroscillatory variations of the current with a frequency corresponding tothe resonance frequency of said tuning-fork.

MARCEL DELMAMARE DEBOUTTEVILLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

V UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 Date Great Britain July 24, 1930

1. A DEVICE FOR GIVING PERIODICAL VARIATIONS OF SECTION AND PROFILE TOTHE ARTIFICIAL FIBERS OBTAINED BY SPINNING THROUGH A NOZZLE OF COAGULABESOLUTIONS, WHICH COMPRISES A MEMBER CAPABLE OF VIBRATIONS, NOZZLESECURED TO SAID MEMBER, ELECTRO-MAGNETICAL MEANS FOR IMPARTING TO SAIDMEMBER A HIGH FREQUENCY VIBRATING MOVEMENT, A CURRENT AMPLIFIER FORFEEDING SAID ELECTRO-MAGNETICAL MEANS, AND ELECTRO-MAGNETICAL MEANS INCONNECTION WITH SAID MEMBER OF PRODUCING IN SAID AMPLIFIER OSCILLATORYVARIATIONS OF THE CURRENT WITH A FREQUENCY CORRESPONDING TO THERESONANCE FREQUENCY OF SAID MEMBER.